Israeli Beck barely misses cut at British Open

After carding a six-over-par 78 in the first round, the 22-year-old registered a five-over-par 77 in the second round on Friday to end the tournament on +11, missing the cut by five shots.

Laetitia Beck.
(photo credit:REUTERS)

Laetitia Beck’s first major ended earlier than she had hoped on Friday after she failed to make the cut in the British Open at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club at Southport & Ainsdale.

After carding a six-over-par 78 in the first round, the 22-year-old registered a five-over-par 77 in the second round on Friday to end the tournament on +11, missing the cut by five shots.

Beck, who is the first Israeli to take part in one of golf’s majors, got the second round off to a disappointing start, bogeying the first two holes and three of the first four.

She recorded her first birdie of the day on the sixth hole, but followed it up with two more bogeys. Beck hit two more bogeys to start the back nine, and despite finishing with two birdies in the final four holes, she ended the day at 11-over-par and didn’t make the cut.

Beck, who graduated from Duke University earlier this year, decided to turn professional after qualifying for the British Open last week. She registered a four-under-par 70 at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club to finish the final qualifying round tied for fifth place.

Beck, who also had to come through a pre-qualifying event, was born in Antwerp, Belgium, before moving to Israel with her family when she was six years old. She is hoping to represent Israel at the Rio 2016 Olympics when golf makes its return to the Olympic Games.

Beck already won the Israeli Ladies Championships at the age of 12 and attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida in order to further her golf career. She qualified for her first LPGA Tour event in August 2011, participating as an amateur in the Canadian Women’s Open in Montreal.

Mo Martin held a three-stroke lead after the second round while fellow American Michelle Wie missed the cut.

The diminutive Martin used her accuracy to avoid the punishing rough on her way to a second successive three-under-par 69 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, Lancashire.

But it was a different story for Wie, who carded 78 for a nine-over 153 total, three strokes too many to survive for the weekend.

“It was one of those weeks where I started off on the wrong foot, but stuff happens like that,” Wie told Golf Channel.

“Golf is hard. I still feel good about my game. This doesn’t change how I look at my game but it’s also a good kick in the butt about what I need to improve.”

Former child prodigy Wie, who just last month broke through for her first major title when she won the U.S. Women’s Open, said her driving had let her down, despite a conservative strategy.

“My tempo got off this week. I just need to find it again. Nothing was too off this week.

It’s just nothing was quite right. I just didn’t hit the shots I needed.”

Martin has gained a reputation as one of the straightest hitters in the women’s game, and she played to her strength to post a six-under 138 halfway total.